Just Another Girl (Niall Horan A.U. fanfiction)

Chapter 4

"So, I saw you and Niall talking," Katie says with a smile when I enter our dorm room.

I force a smile. "Don't get your hopes up, it wasn't anything special."

She looks disappointed but still presses me for details.

After I've told her what we talked about, she smiles again. "But Emily, there's some girl he likes! It's probably you!"

I roll my eyes. "I don't believe any of that stuff," I snort but I feel a little tug of guilt...a part of me wants to believe Niall...maybe even does believe what he said. Somewhere there's a part of me that wants to see Niall as a good guy. I just don't know if there's a good guy to be found in Niall.

A couple days later, Katie manages to drag me down to the pool with her and Louis, despite my complaints about being a third wheel.

We place our towels and bags down by some lounge chairs and then I sit down and pull out my book.

"You're going to read? You're at a pool and you're going to read?" Katie asks.

"Yep," I smile at her. "You and Louis go have fun I'll just sit here, its fine. I don't really feel like swimming anyway."

She shrugs and follows Louis into the pool. As I start reading the sounds of the pool fade and there is only the book and the world inside the book. I'm jerked out of that world when someone steps in front of the sun, casting a long shadow across my book.

Already knowing who it is, I slowly turn around and glare at Niall. "You're in my light, would you mind moving?"

He ignores me and says, "I can't even believe you. Reading at a pool? Really? Why aren't you in the pool?"

I nod at Katie and Louis. "I don't feel like third wheeling."

With what I assume is supposed to be a charming grin he says, "Well, I'm here, so you don't have to third wheel anymore."

I shake my head. "Just leave me alone."

To my relief he walks away, over to another chair and then takes his shirt off. I can see him in the corner of my eye watching me, smirking, expecting me to look over. When I don't, he walks over to the pool and jumps in, splashing water on me. I ignore the temptation to shout at him and keep my eyes on my book.

To my annoyance I have a harder time sinking into my book now that he's here. While it could be due to the fact that he is doing all he can to get me to put the book down, I suspect it's more the fact that he isn't wearing a shirt.

After a while Katie comes and sits next to me. "You know, you could humor him, he's been trying super hard to get your attention." We both look over at him and he smirks at me and beckons me over.

I shake my head. "No thanks, he's disgusting."